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Survival Skills Title: The Eight Ates of Cold Weather Survival When it comes to surviving in the coldest environments mother nature is amazing. Nature has inbued within its myriad species of creatures eight basic survival strategies to keep animals, insects, and plant life going generation after generation no matter what the weather hurls at them. The eight survival strategies nature has given its wildlife are the abilities to: hybernate, migrate, insulate, congregate, propagate, generate, terminate, and excavate. Thats a lot of “ates”! Hibernate to Survive the Winter Of course you have probably known all along about hibernation. Animals that hibernate to survive cold weather include bears, some bats, groundhogs and others. During hibernation animals core temperature drops in order to conserve energy and it lives off stored fat reserves. Some animals do not really hibernate in order to survive the cold weather but rather hunker down for long periods of time inside their dens. If there should be a warm spell, they will come out and about. These animals are known as Sleepers and include skunks, raccoons and mice. In northern areas of the world you could possible categorize some people as “Sleepers” during the cold winter months as they hunker down inside their warm nests (homes) and rarely see the light of day until spring. That is certainly one way to survive through the harsh winter, but for me I would rather live life out there being challenged by the crisp cold winter weather! The animals are cold weather survival experts Migrate to Survive the Winter Some birds, caribou, whales, manatees, and other mammals that live in the sea migrate to warmer climates during the winter. The arctic tern actually flies between the arctic and antarctic every year in order to enjoy a perpetual summer! It is popular for people who live in cold climates to travel to warmer areas of the world for at least part of the winter in order to escape the coldest weeks. When many people retire they look forward to moving to a warmer climate order to enjoy a cold-free lifestyle. Insulate to Survive the Winter Some animals gather large amounts of fluffy materials in order to make a warm snug nest. Once the nest is made the animal can survive the harshest of weather safely enclosed within a warm environment of its own making. Birds will fluff up their feathers to increase the value of their insulation. The lesson here is that plenty of good insulation can protect you from the cold. This includes your bedding, your warm clothing, and the material in your home or shelter. Congregate to Survive the Winter If you have ever gone into a barn full of cattle on a cold winter day, you will have learned the secret of how honeybees and snakes survive the winter cold. Lots of warm bodies produce lots of warm heat so when it is very cold a good place to be is where you surrounded by all of your warm buddies. If an emergency situation occurs where the heat goes off and your home becomes and icebox, you can put this knowledge to good use. Have all your friends come over to camp out in the same room. The combined body heat can very well bring the temperature up so high you will have to open a window! Propagate and Terminate to Survive the Winter Many insects that cannot live through the cold winter months instead lay their eggs before freezing sets in. This insures that the next generation will be there when the warm spring days come once again. Mosquitoes and grasshoppers employ this strategy for their species to survive through the months of winter cold. As for humans, the act of propagation does indeed produce heat that can be useful when the weather is cold. But we will not get into the details here - you will have to discover that hot topic for yourself! Generate to Survive the Winter Many animals grow extra thick warm fur coats in order to survive the cold winters. Often their winter coat is also white in order to blend in with the color of the snow they live in. The fur of many animals in winter climates is designed to repel snow and ice. You too can generate additional layers of warm clothing. The best cold weather clothing system is the 3 layer system. In addition you can generate additional body heat by eating plenty of calories or becoming more active. If you know how to build a fire you can generate a large amount of heat in order to survive. Excavate to Survive the Winter As any student of survival knows, one of the best places you can be when the coldest weather hits is underground. In most areas of the world just going a few feet below ground means your surrounding temperature will be above the freezing point of water or 32 degrees F. That is a vast improvement in temperature when the world above you is minus 20 degrees F or lower! So take a lesson from the burrowing animals in your area and excavate down into the warm earth in order to survive the winter cold. The Animals are Cold Weather Survival Experts From ants to tigers to birds on the wing, there are many successful survival strategies you can learn from the animals to stay warm when the frosts of winter arrive. Unlike the animals we are not driven by instinct. We can learn how heat is lost and then take the steps necessary to conserve our heat during times of extreme cold. This allows us to flourish in nearly all climates, and survive in the coldest weather mother nature can throw at us. You will do well if you study and learn the ways animals survive cold weather!
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